The following article appeared in the St. Petersburg Times on May 5, 1946.
By HOWARD MILLER
Deep into the roots of Florida history, when Spanish conquistadors stalked the land, when pirates ravaged the Spanish main and plundered heavily laden galleons, when later buccaneers preyed on merchant shipping of the infant United States, goes the area where the little community of Anclote now stands.

On the north bank at the mouth of the Anclote river, this quiet, shaded town was the original home of the sponge industry in Florida before Tarpon Springs was ever settled.

Before the first Greek dived off his sponge boat based at Tarpon Springs, sponge “hookers” were fishing the sponge beds and selling them at Cedar Keys and farther north.

Popular legend has it that the early buccaneers watered their ships at the “Spanish Well,” a clear sparkling spring only 25 feet from the beach at the river’s mouth. Certain it is that Spanish explorers touched there.

The “Spanish Well” was probably discovered by Vasco da Gama and Pinida who landed in Clearwater Bay-the whole bay north to Anclote Key was called Clearwater bay-early in the 16th century.

In 1528 Pantilo Narvez, who seemed to be more humane than the average conquistador, attempted to water his ships at the “Spanish Well.” Since the Spaniards had treated the Indians with merciless ferocity, the Indians fought back with ever weapon they could.

Narvez, to show his peaceful intentions, sent men ashore in small boats, two at a tie at intervals. By the time the eighth man had disappeared into the jungle without a sound Narvez gave up and sailed away.

The town of Anclote as we know it now was settled first in 1866 by Fred Meyer and the Harrison and Cobb families who came from Marion county. They purchased a box of oranges at Brooksville, ate the oranges and planted the seed in Anclote. Some of these trees still bear fruit.

A year later Fred Meyer’s brother, Frank, came to Anclote. Both the Meyers died two years after coming to Anclote, leaving their widows with small children and a wild unsettled country to call home.

Fred Meyer’s grandson, Grady Thompson, a boat builder just returned from five years of navy service as a shipyard inspector, still lives in Anclote with his wife, Ellen. Mrs. Thompson declared they wouldn’t live anywhere else. “Quiet, peaceful and beautiful-what more can anyone want?” she asks.

First land purchased at Anclote, however, was bought by Capt. Samuel E. Hope of Brooksville in 1861, although Hope didn’t come to Anclote until the 1870’s. A hero of the war between the states in which he organized a company in Tampa and was attached to General Lee’s staff, Hope owned most of the land along the river.

At one time there was a thriving English community in Anclote, complete with three-story houses, coal fireplaces, butlers and afternoon tea.

Many of Capt. Hope’s descendants still live in Pinellas county. His daughter, Mrs. Clara Baggett, now 84, lives in Tarpon Springs, his only living child. She recalls the days when Anclote had all the little social graces-hardly expected in what must have been considered a frontier town-of parties, music, schools. Life was very pleasant there.

But as Tarpon Springs built up, Anclote declined. The railroad went through Tarpon and sounded the death knell of Anclote as a growing community. The river channel was deepened and Greek divers came to Tarpon Springs and quickly put the “hookers” out of business So many more sponges and better sponges could be gathered by a diver than by hooking them from their beds.

Today, Anclote’s quiet shady streets have no traffic problem. Fishermen still go out to sea to set their nets and Anclote’s people picnic and fish, sailing their boats on the broad bosom of the river. They’re satisfied with their town. They like it as it is.http://www.fivay.org/anclote.html